Ten Facts You Never Knew About Watermelon (in Nutrition & Health)

Kid Eating Watermelon Watermelon is everyone’s favorite summer fruit, or is it? Did you know that the Watermelon isn’t even a fruit? Yeah, neither did I. Here are ten other interesting facts about Watermelon guaranteed to impress fellow picnic guests.

The Facts:

Not only does it quench your thirst, it can also quench inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.
Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide.
Watermelon is an ideal health food because it doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol, is high in fiber and vitamins A & C and is a good source of potassium.
Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free radicals.
Watermelon is a vegetable! It is related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
Watermelon is grown in over 96 countries worldwide.
In China and Japan watermelon is a popular gift to bring a host.
In Israel and Egypt, the sweet taste of watermelon is often paired with the salty taste of feta cheese.
Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds.

What an amazing fru… vegetable! To help us celebrate the Watermelon in true WCdish style, I put together this healthy treat:

Frozen Watermelon Lemonade

Watermelon Drink Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

3 cups watermelon cubes, seeds removed
1/2 cup raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups strawberry-flavored, calorie-free carbonated water, chilled

How to make it…

Place watermelon cubes and raspberries in a blender; process until smooth. Pour through a sieve; discard pulp.
Combine the sugar and water in the small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, just until the sugar dissolves. Set aside allow to cool slightly.
Stir the sugar-water and lemon juice onto the watermelon raspberry juice mixture. Pour the juice mixture onto a covered freezer container. Freeze until firm
Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the mixture into tall glasses. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of the strawberry flavored water over the frozen juice in each glass. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

CALORIES 99; PROTEIN 0.5g; CARB 25g; SUGAR 23g; FAT 0.3g; CHOL 0g;
SODIUM 2mg; FIBER 0.6g

Questions about nutrition? Feel free to contact our resident nutritionist Margaret Moses, RD
at 610-431-7000 or Margaretmo@acacwc.com

About the Author

Margaret, our nutrition expert, currently presides at ACAC Fitness & Wellness Center and in her spare time teaches food science at West Chester U.

More About Margaret Moses...

Annette

It is the same line of thought that has us eating pumpkin or sweet potato pie.

Clara Yvonne MCBURNIE

I have never tasted seedless watermelons and now, given the comments here, won't; I love watermelon, consider it a fruit (as are eggplant, tomatoes, pumpkin, etc. ... everything with seeds) and so does every dictionary. My real question is why is something that is being presented as healthy being offered in a recipe involving 3/4 cup sugar??!!

taylorr

Thank you! I thought watermelons were rather like cotton candy, all for taste and appearance. I find the taste and texture of the seeded unbelievably good. I used to think they were the fast food of fruits, empty calories and a guilty pleasure. Today I'll buy one! Now I'm upset because they only appear in season. :)

Martha Rettig

Here in Israel we grow some of the most amazing produce in the world. Our watermelons, both seeded and seedless, are wonderful, sweet and crunchy smooth as they should be. In fact, nearly all our produce is very tasty, and I believe that the main reason is that it is so fresh when we buy it. It rarely has to travel more than 3 hours from field to market, and often we buy it (in regular supermarkets) within a day of being harvested. Not everything is as "big and fancy" looking as in American markets (I grew up in US so I do appreciate them), but the flavor and texture are great. Come and visit to find out:)

George McKiernan

I also wwould like to comment on the seedless watermelon conversation. I have been in the produce business for 41 years and have eaten my share of watermelons.
I must agree about the melons with the seeds having more flavor. It seems as they breed these varieties to accomodate the public ...no seeds..but they lost the flavor.
this has happened to many items in the produce dept. tomatoes, peaches, apricots,
beautiful fruit ,but no flavor. exceptions would be the older heirloom varieties of tomatoes and the new cross breed pluots or apriums.
Seeded watermelons are hard to find because no one is growing them much any more but if you ask they are still around as they need them as "Pollinators" for the seedless crop,

girl who took food science

watermelon actually IS a fruit. the definition of a fruit is considered to be a seed and its covering. that would make cucumbers, tomatoes, and even avocado a fruit. check your facts! vegetables are bulbs, roots, or tubers.

Judi

I'll stick up for the seedless melons! If the butt end (not the stem end) is white, it is sweet and juicy. If it is cracking, it is too far along and crumbly and not nearly as juicy. I am truly thankful for all the hard work put into developing a seedless variety of watermelons. My husband and I eat a melon a week from early spring until they are not available any longer in the fall. Yum, yum!!!

d-rocka

As a Botanist I have to fully agree with Gary: Apr 13, 2008. Botanically speaking fruits of plants are reproductive entities which contain developed ovaries, usually fertilized seeds and numerous secondary chemical compounds to deter predators. Tubers such as ginger, tumeric and potatoes are nutrient and water storage facilities and do not contain any reproductive parts.
Watermelon is thus not a vegetable but a fruit. A delicious and healthy one at that.

Laura

This is a very informative post, i was searching in google for Colon Cancer and came across this post. My niece is suffering from Cervical Cancer, information mention in this article will greatly help me in offering her some advice
thank you

Sergio

Thank you for the watermelon review. I will definitely try the recipe with my children.

Sergio -
www.feelsuccessful.usana.com

Andy

Try Pete's Produce in the summer when the yellow watermelons come out can i say yummy.

Andy

I just swallow my seeds. Why bother spitting them out its not like we are trying to grow a garden with them.

BBQB

Its not just you! Seedless watermelons are not nearly as good as their seed-full cousins. I don't even bother buying the seedless ones anymore...which often means I don't buy watermelon at all, since the ones with seeds are sometimes difficult to even find.

Gary

I have to take exception to: "Watermelon is a vegetable! It is related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash."

Botanically, fruits are the ovaries of plants -- bulgy things filled with seeds. All the examples above (also tomatoes, eggplants and chiles) are fruits. The term "vegetable" has no botanical meaning, but usually refers to parts of plants other than fruits (leaves, roots, stems and such). In common usage, "fruit" refers to sweet plant parts, regardless of their structural properties -- which is why people are often surprised that tomatoes, eggplants and chilies are not "vegetables."

Bill K

My only question is why oh why did they ever introduce seedless watermelon? Is it only me, but do they just taste like under-ripe, immature melons? Yes, the seeds can be a pain, but the flavor is always right along the cracks where the seeds are. MMM. Give me back my rattlesnake melon!

West Chester Dish

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